Act I, Scene 4

Lucio visits St. Clare, where the nuns reside, and meets Isabella, who is about to take her vows. Lucio tells Isabella about her brother and Claudio's death sentence. Although unsure of her power to persuade, she consents to plead her brother's cause before Angelo. Isabella will ask the Deputy to be merciful to Claudio.

In this short scene, there are two central characters. Isabella lives in a convent, in training to become a nun. She is a devout woman, who believes the sisterhood of nuns is too lenient. Serving as a go- between, Lucio arrives at the convent in order to deliver Claudio's message to his sister. Through persuasion and determination, he convinces Isabella to plead Claudio's case before Angelo. In deference to her religion and her devotion, Lucio speaks to her using poetry and in very respectful tones. This is in sharp contrast to the earlier scene where he was trading base witticisms with Mrs. Overdone.

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